Green Room raised over $300 dollars for the Aids Foundation of Chicago (AFC)  through ticket sales for their Benefit Show. Students were able to write, direct, and act their own shows for a workshop experience. Members were given two weeks to prepare for the show on April 17th.

“Directing was a challenge because we were only given a week to rehearse; however, the writing was fun because I was able to receive feedback on my script,” said student director Natalie Grzesik.

Ticket sales only cost $5, and all the proceeds went to AFC. The AFC has been working for more than thirty years to fight for HIV prevention services in Illinois. Green Room sold over 60 tickets, and combined with donations, made over $300 for the AFC.

The workshop experience was compiled with a week of workshopping and then a week of rehearsals. Actors were not required to memorize shows because they could have been cast in up to four shows.

“It was a bit tough because, although there isn’t a lot of pressure to be memorized, there’s always a little bit of pressure when performing to do the best you can in your role, and memorizing lines can help a lot,” actor Ian Doyle said, “Overall though, it was an incredible performance to be a part of and a good send off from theatre for me. I’m glad I could be a part of it and help the AFC.”

This is the first time Green Room has ever done a benefit show and it had turned to a success.

“Acting in the charity show was so much fun and rewarding because it was for a good cause and we were allowed to do what we wanted and have a lot of fun,” said actor Sam Brick.